Hellenism and the Primary History

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A01=Robert Karl Gnuse
ancient Near Eastern literature
Author_Robert Karl Gnuse
Biblical Account
Biblical Author
biblical historiography
Biblical Text
Category=NHC
Category=QRJF
Category=QRMF12
comparative mythology
Deuteronomistic History
Diodorus Siculus
Eighth Century Bce
Enuma Elish
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
Flood Hero
Greek influence on Old Testament narratives
Greek Legends
Greek Narratives
Hebrew Bible origins
Hellenistic Era
Hellenistic Greek texts
Hesiod's Catalogue
Hesiod’s Catalogue
John Van Seters
literary parallels antiquity
Lot's Wife
Lot’s Wife
Mesopotamian Accounts
minimalism maximalism debate
Niels Peter Lemche
Persian period
Persona
Philippe Wajdenbaum
Priestly Editors
Primary History
Primeval History
Segmented Genealogies
Van Seters
Young Men

Product details

  • ISBN 9780367462468
  • Weight: 430g
  • Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
  • Publication Date: 01 Oct 2020
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Hardback
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This collection of essays seeks to demonstrate that many biblical authors deliberately used Classical and Hellenistic Greek texts for inspiration when crafting many of the narratives in the Primary History.

Through detailed analysis of the text, Gnuse contends that there are numerous examples of clear influence from late classical and Hellenistic literature. Deconstructing the biblical and Greek works in parallel, he argues that there are too many similarities in basic theme, meaning, and detail, for them to be accounted for by coincidence or shared ancient tropes. Using this evidence, he suggests that although much of the text may originate from the Persian period, large parts of its final form likely date from the Hellenistic era.

With the help of an original introduction and final chapter, Gnuse pulls his essays together into a coherent collection for the first time. The resultant volume offers a valuable resource for anyone working on the dating of the Hebrew Bible, as well as those working on Hellenism in the ancient Levant more broadly.

Robert Karl Gnuse is the James C. Carter, S.J./Chase Bank Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Loyola University in New Orleans, where he has taught since 1980. His degrees are from Vanderbilt University (Ph.D., 1980; M.A., 1978) and Christ Seminary in St. Louis (S.T.M., 1975; M.Div., 1974). He is author of 18 books, most recently The Elohist (2017) and Trajectories of Justice (2015).

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